


Sticks And Stones: Bones

by half_sleeping



Series: Sticks and Stones [1]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-30
Updated: 2012-11-21
Packaged: 2017-11-11 20:12:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/482475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/half_sleeping/pseuds/half_sleeping
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Avatar!AU of Kuroko No Basuke: Stupid to say- to point out about a waterbender, but Aomine had eyes like the ocean, deep, and dark, and cold, like a giant weight was pressing upon you, dragging you into it’s depths, leaving you gasping for air.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Book 1: Bones

Really, Momoi would have said that the day everything changed was when Dai-chan came into the house carrying an unconscious firebender over his shoulder.

 

“Here,” he said, and dumped the stranger on the ground in front of their house. Momoi was practising with her fans while Kuroko sat on the bench and read, watching the graceful  and deadly motion of her arms and, as was the perpetual state of their life, waiting for Aomine to get into trouble.

 

Tetsu-kun looked at the body, looked at Aomine, and cast her a speaking look.

 

Momoi sighed. “Dai-chan,” she said. “If you’ve killed someone, you shouldn’t bring them back here. We can’t deal with corpses.”

 

“He’s not dead,” said Aomine, irritably. “I’m not _stupid_. I just- beat him up.”

 

“Who is he?” said Kuroko, poking at him with a stick. He was breathing, which was reassuring.

 

“A firebender,” said Aomine, whipping up a drink through the window from inside the house, soaking his head.

 

“Anything else?” said Kuroko.

 

“My arm hurts,” said Aomine. “He got me.” In illustration, he lifted his arm. A long heavy burn was already healing, and there was the general smell of soot and smoke. Kuroko frowned. Aomine did not do his own laundry.

 

“Anything relevant,” said Kuroko, patiently. The firebender looked to be in only slightly worse shape than Aomine, unconsciousness aside, and looking at his face, Kuroko concluded he was about their age.

 

“Eh,” said Aomine, and threw water onto the stranger’s head. “I didn’t ask.”

 

“You just started fighting?” Momoi said, eyebrow raised. “Just like that?”

 

“He started it,” said Aomine.

 

Kuroko and Momoi both stared at him. “No, really!” Aomine protested. “He challenged me when I told him I was a waterbender. Then I kicked his ass.”

 

“Challenged,” said Kuroko, skeptically.

 

“He said ‘Fight me’,” said Aomine, feeling unfairly maligned. “I don’t know how it could have gotten any more clear than that.”

 

“Maybe you’ve been out in the sun too long,” Momoi said. “Firebenders don’t wander onto the island and challenge other people for no reason.”

 

“He’s not bad,” said Aomine. “Maybe he’s one of those weird people who travel around challenging other fighters until they get stronger, like, to train or something. Maybe he’s having a strength journey.”

 

“That doesn’t happen in real life,” said Momoi, patiently. “But he does look like he’s been on the road a while.”

 

Kuroko splashed some more water onto the firebender’s face by the simple expedient of turning his face to the side, and then smacking his hand into the pool of water that had formed. “He’s coming around.”

 

.0.

 

The firebender introduced himself to them as Kagami. And as for Aomine’s story...

 

“Pretty true,” said Kagami, wincing as Kuroko moved over his limbs, checking to make sure nothing was broken. “You’re better than I expected. Er. Thanks for letting me in here.”

 

“Leaving you out there to die would have somehow become my fault,” said Aomine.

 

“Don’t be silly,” said Momoi, ignoring this. “We don’t mind at all.”

 

“You’re really travelling the world and fighting benders?” said Kuroko.

 

“A little bit of both,” said Kagami, and winced as he tried to run a hand through his hair. “Came down through the Fire Nation and was just...going south.”

 

“Looking for benders?” said Momoi. “Dai-chan is our only one in this house, though.”

 

“Good benders,” he said, and transferred his gaze to Aomine, fidgeting in the corner. “You’re pretty good.”

 

“Aomine-kun is the best waterbender in the village,” Kuroko said. This was true, in a village of mostly earth and water, with their lone firebender being the proprietor of the lone fire nation cuisine restaurant on the island, a nice older man who mostly used his bending to light the pipes of his customers. Better benders went away to study, usually to the south pole, or they did not train much beyond that.

 

Aomine said, “I’m the best waterbender in the world.”

 

Kagami lifted an eyebrow. “So you said. I’d rank you up there, but I can’t see how you can possibly know or be sure of that. You’re too full of yourself.”

 

“The Avatar told me,” said Aomine, smugly. “He’s been all over the world, he should know.”

 

And then Kagami’s eyes lit up and he said, “ _The Avatar?_ ”

 

.0.

 

Aomine’s version of how-we-met-the-Avatar went: Kise? Yeah, he passed through here a while back and he was doing that bender thing too and so he came and found me- and then I kicked his ass. He’s been following us around like a puppy ever since. He keeps trying to copy my style of bending. It’s not happening. I guess he’s all right. Tetsu and Satsuki like him, spirits know why.

 

Kuroko’s more measured version: Kise-kun occasionally visits with us when he passes through this area. We’re on the way from the mainland to the Southern Air Temple, so he often overnights here and then flies on in the morning. His training to become the Avatar has only recently been completed. Aomine-kun gets very excited when Kise-kun visits us. His visits are very lively.

 

Momoi said: Dai-chan you’re always so unclear! He came to the Island during his training when he was on the way to the Southern Air Temple, but that was because we’re on Kiyoshi Island and he used to _be_ her, so obviously he was interested in our history and all that! And then while we - the girls- were talking to him because I’m a Kiyoshi warrior, Dai-chan came up and wanted to know why I was taking too long and then because Dai-chan is really weird it turned into a bending battle and then I stopped them and I said I didn’t care which of them won but the food was getting cold, and we’d only just exchanged for the fresh buns from auntie, so we went back to eat. And now he’s our friend! He’s very nice and brings us presents when he comes by.

 

Momoi paused, and looked at Kagami expectantly. “Er,” he said. Well. He guessed that was an explanation. Even he could see that Aomine was something out of the ordinary among benders, among all the waterbenders he’d ever met. The Avatar cared about...bending, he supposed.

 

“Kise-kun will probably be passing through again soon,” said Kuroko.

 

“Would he give me a fight?” said Kagami, arrowing in on the important part. “Not- just, you know. I’d like to.”

 

“ _You_ want to fight the Avatar?” said Aomine.

 

Kagami bit back a sharp retort. Aomine had beaten him, after all. “The Avatar has to be good at bending,” he pointed out. “It’s the job description.”

 

All three of them looked at each other. Their gazes seemed to communicate to each other that a plot to assassinate the Avatar would be more subtle and between the three of them and also Kise, they could probably handle it.

 

“Maybe?” said Momoi.

 

“Probably,” said Kuroko.

 

“Just beat up on him until he does,” said Aomine. “That usually works.”

 

.0.

 

“Sure!” said Kise brightly. “I’m always up for a little sparring.”

 

After a few minutes of flaring, brilliant fire, Aomine snorted and yelled, “KICK HIM IN THE FACE.”

 

“AOMINECHI NO INTERFERING,” Kise called back.

 

“SHUT UP,” yelled Kagami.

 

“Kagami-kun... is quite good,” said Kuroko, squinting. “I don’t know much about firebending, though.”

 

“Kise’s not really trying,” said Aomine.

 

“You know firebending?” said Momoi, looking at him sideways. Sometimes- all the time- it was good to take Dai-chan down a couple of pegs.

 

Aomine watched Kise flip himself over Kagami’s head, easy, too easy, too smooth. Kise all damn over. “I know Kise.” He moved his arm, restlessly. The wound was already gone, but the echo of it lingered in the stretch of his skin. Billows of dry air fluttered out at them and Aomine remembered the terrible scorching heat on his face, the whip of light. Kise had never been really trying against him, either, if that was what _real_ firebending was like. And Kagami _had_ come at him seriously, once Aomine had shown him he could, eyes set and focused, bending sharp and deadly. Kise was already working harder at his firebending than Aomine had ever seen him, and hadn’t yet reached for one of the other elements. But he would, he’d have to, Kagami was pushing him now, and had his timing now, and every flip or dodge was followed by a strike, Kise didn’t have time to avoid, he was going to have to-

 

With a stomp, Kise earthbent right below Kagami’s feet, throwing him off his stance and sending the firebender teetering. Kise jumped back, just in time to deflect with air Kagami’s kick, sent trailing fire over his head mid-fall as he flipped himself back upright with his arms.

 

Kagami was _used_ to this, to different styles of bending. Kise said as much as he...turned and ran, snatching up his staff from where he’d laid it against a tree to spar with his hands free.

 

“Ki-chan,” said Momoi, disapprovingly.

 

“Oi,” snarled Kagami. “Are you running-”

 

Kise laughed, ran up the trunk, and then came down _on_ Kagami, staff-first. Kagami thrust up an arm wreathed in flame to block, but Kise’s air-reinforced blow forced him down, then back, and blew him half across the clearing.

 

“Just getting serious, Kagamichi,” said Kise, but his eyes were sparkling.

 

“What- Kagamichi? Wait, no- be serious all the time, dammit,” said Kagami, covered in dust, picking himself up.

 

“He likes you now,” called Kuroko.

 

“Isn’t that nice?” said Momoi, her sharp eyes tracking every motion of their fight, the openings, the guards, their attacks.

 

Kise spun the staff and settled into a loose, easy stance. “But I am serious,” he said. “Kurokochi, where did you _find_ him?”

 

If Kise had time to talk, he wasn’t being anywhere near serious, thought Aomine, but it did seem to him serious enough, looking at Kise fighting from the outside for once. Kise was no slouch. They'd never fought properly after that first time, that first incredible struggle, but maybe that was only to be expected.

 

Kagami threw a few punches and with them fireballs, trying to gauge when best to dash into the Avatar’s now-extended range. Kise batted them all aside, and then had to spin to avoid one coming in at exactly eye height, Kagami’s knee coming in from his temporarily blind side. Kise dropped and continued on with his motion, dragging the butt of the staff along with him in an arc; the earth moved. Kagami staggered backwards. Kise moved quickly- one blow of air, an uppercut of fire with his free hand, his leg coming up smooth and whip-fast to strike Kagami under the chin.

 

Kagami hit the ground hard enough to bounce. Kise put his foot on Kagami’s arm, pinning it, and pointed his staff at Kagami’s throat, nudging the skin. “Serious enough for you?” he said.

 

Kagami laughed, a little rusty around the strikes to his head. “You got me,” he admitted, and took Kise’s hand when Kise reached to help him up.

 

Aomine’s heart was racing, and his eyes gleamed with all his fervent interest. Satsuki shook herself out of the fight and glanced sideways at him, wary. “Kise,” he said. “Kise, Kise you bastard. You never fight _me_ like that.”

 

“No,” said Kise, and looked at Aomine with his battle-eyes, the sharpness he usually hid away in frivolity. “With you, I’d be perfectly happy never having it be serious. They’ve only just got me trained up, you know.”

 

Aomine stomped his foot and crossed his arms. “That’s not fair,” he said.

 

“Is he really that good?” said Kagami, a matter of professional opinion, and to set against the ease with which Aomine had overwhelmed him. “Aomine, I mean. I fought him when I first came.”

 

“I beat him,” said Aomine, unnecessarily.

 

“Shut up,” said Kagami, cracking his jaw out.

 

“Aominechi is the strongest waterbender in the world,” said Kise. “Momochi’s pretty ferocious. And Kurokochi here is one of the most effective fighters I’ve ever met! You’re in good company if you wanted to fight, Kagamichi.”

 

“Don’t call me that,” said Kagami, automatically. “Wait- Kuroko? But I thought he couldn’t bend.”

 

“Well it’s all sort of a matter of perspective, really,” said Kise airily, over the sound of Kuroko saying, “Kise-kun, please don't talk nonsense and give Kagami-kun ideas."


	2. Book 1: Bones

“Shouldn’t you run screaming from water or something?” said Aomine, watching Kagami sit right at the part of the bay where the water covered him up to his ears, and he breathed in the spaces between push and pull. “Go sit in a volcano.”  
  
“Seen one,” said Kagami, hauling himself out a few inches to snipe at Aomine, as the waterbender had thought he would. “ _Yo u’d_ run screaming. Hot enough to melt your face off.”  
  
“Oh, is that what happened to yours,” said Aomine, and Satsuki, wrapped around Tetsu on the beach, giggled.   
  
“I’m not afraid of water,” said Kagami. “So you’re fresh out of luck there, jackass.”  
  
Aomine pushed the sea at him. Not a lot. Just a little, in with the push and pull of the tides, dragging at his bones.  
  
Well. Maybe a lot. Kagami surfaced sputtering, and the wave crashed up the beach and splashed Satsuki, who squealed, and Tetsu, who tightened his hold on her automatically. Sweep people out to sea _ one time_, they never forgot it. Or two. Or ten. Whatever, he always saved them again, scooped them safely out of the water.  
  
“Aomine-kun,” said Tetsu. “Don’t drown Kagami-kun. That’s wrong.”  
  
“I’ve drowned before,” remarked Kagami, rolling his eyes at Tetsu and Satsuki to show he was above Aomine’s level, like they all liked to pretend they were. “Lived, though. Never minded it.”  
  
“The ocean loves you,” said Tetsu. Kagami looked at him, surprised, and Tetsu clarified, “It’s a saying. If the ocean drags you down then lets you go, we say that it loves you. It lets you live again.”  
  
Satsuki laid her head on Tetsu’s shoulder. “So romantic,” she said, and sighed.   
  
“I know,” said Kagami. “I knew a Water Tribe guy- he said that too. He was from the North, though.”  
  
“It’s a northern saying,” agreed Tetsu. “How many times has it happened to you?”  
  
“A few,” said Kagami. “Once when I was small- they’d thought they lost me, but then I opened my eyes and coughed it all up. Been shipwrecked twice since, always fun. I surf, so I go under a lot, but drowning is different.”  
  
“You are one unlucky dude,” said Aomine, eyeing Kagami skeptically. “Or just careless.”  
  
Kagami shrugged. “What can I say?” he said. “The ocean loves me.”  
  
 _Loves to suck out your life through your lungs_ , Aomine thought about saying, but didn’t, because Satsuki would get upset. “Surf?” he said instead. “You surf?”  
  
“Yeah,” said Kagami, and turned to look out at the bay. The elephant koi were moving, but Aomine wasn’t hunting them today. “Waves aren’t good here, though.”  
  
Aomine considered telling Kagami how stupid he was, but rather than open his mouth, he pushed a wave again at Kagami, this one huge, moving out to the ocean so that Satsuki wouldn’t complain, and Tetsu give him decidedly less meat tonight. It struck him on the back of the head- engulfed him- and when he surfaced this time, spitting saltwater, Aomine grinned at him.  
  
Kagami was quick on the uptake, once you whacked him over the head with it. He grinned too. “Got boards?” he said.   
  
“What do you think?” said Aomine.   
  
“I think we’re going to start dinner late today,” said Satsuki, but she stood, and stretched all the inches of her glorious figure. Aomine was rarely so obliging. “In the boatshed, Kagamin. Let’s go.”  
  
.0.  
  
Sometimes Aomine was a huge asshole, selfish and lazy and capricious, vicious as sea-salt spray right in the eyes- but sometimes he did things like this, like whip up all the bay just so that they could play on it, moving in and around them with his own board of ice and dipping Kuroko and Momoi out of the water, raising Kagami’s waves higher and higher until he was racing Aomine as much as the ocean, the wind in his hair.   
  
“It’s weird that there’s no one else here,” said Kagami. “I mean, it’s a great day, you’d think the other villagers would come down. Not a lot, but  _some_.”  
  
“Oh,” said Momoi, and twisted her long rope of hair over her shoulder. “That’s because of the Unagi.”  
  
“What’s the Unagi,” said Kagami.   
  
Kuroko put his hand over his eyes, expressively.  
  
On cue- on _ fucking_ cue- the water at the mouth of the bay erupted, and Aomine whooped and raced off to it, the waves rising behind him churning up the ice that formed and collapsed in his wake.  
  
“Nothing to worry about,” Momoi said, airily. “Dai-chan can take care of it, it’s just that it makes some of the others nervous to play here. Kagamin, we should get to the shore now until it’s over. Come on, race you!”  
  
“What the hell,” said Kagami, but Momoi was already moving, and the ocean boiled around his legs, and Kagami _ moved_, blasting behind him gouts of fire until he crawled up onto the beach spitting water and turned around to see Aomine playing keep-away with a sea-serpent. It’s shining body arced high over the water, and the elephant koi fled in all directions; jumping the rock in their haste to get away.  
  
“What the _ hell_,” Kagami said, as Kuroko and Momoi more decorously rid themselves of the consequences of their hasty exit.  
  
“That is the Unagi,” said Kuroko. “It feeds on the elephant koi, and lives in the bay. It enjoys human, when it can get it.”  
  
“And Dai-chan keeps it away from us, when we want to swim here,” said Momoi brightly. “The other waterbenders help out during catching time, but other than that none of them want to risk it. They’re not as strong as Dai-chan.”   
  
“It will go away soon,” said Kuroko. “Aomine-kun just has to hit it a few times. The waves must have attracted it.”  
  
Kagami stared at them, brushing sand and salt off their skin, seemingly unconcerned about their friend fighting a giant sea-serpent just for kicks. “What happens if it eats him?’ he asked.  
  
“That would be a pity,” Kuroko suggested very seriously. Momoi nodded, hiding a smile.  
  
Kagami gave up.  
  
.0.  
  
Kise came in over the horizon just as it was getting dark, at first a small dark speck against the long thrown-out rays of the sun, then as he came closer a small dark speck doing lazy, looping whorls, moving up and down on the air currents, expanding too much energy to move, and not really to much purpose. Classic Kise.   
  
Aomine sent up waterspouts to show Kise they’d seen him, because who else on Kiyoshi Island greeted the Avatar with waterspouts? No one, that’s who, and he changed course abruptly, coming in low and fast.   
  
Kagami floated on his board up to where Aomine had made himself an ice platform and tried to think of a way to get on it without getting himself stuck.   
  
Aomine swatted in his direction. “Go away, you’re melting my float.”  
  
“What?” said Kagami, and then looked down at his hand and put it on the ice, leaving a visible imprint.  
  
“THE WATER IS FREEZING,” called Satsuki from the shore, where she’d retreated at last after one of Aomine’s waves washed a elephant koi out, leaving them to stare at it flopping around massively until Aomine pulled it back into the sea, embarrassed. Kuroko had left, possibly to start dinner now that Kise was on his way, but no one could be sure. “KAGAMIN IS THE ONLY HEAT SOURCE.”  
  
“Huh,” said Kagami. “Didn’t realise I was doing that.”  
  
Aomine rolled his eyes and let the platform collapse, falling to the literally icy water. “We should go,” he said. “Kise will whine and whine and whine until we feed him, and Tetsu gets pissy if his food gets cold.”  
  
“Okay,” said Kagami peaceably, and Aomine washed them back to the shore in huge, easy waves, so that the water lapped gently at Satsuki’s toes, and deposited them at her feet without effort. They gathered up their gear and left without looking back up at Kise’s shadow. He would arrive when he did, and no sooner.  
  
“I’ve never surfed waterbender waves before,” said Kagami, a touch dreamily. “Man, I can’t believe that bastard could have done this and never said a word.”  
  
“That northern guy?” said Aomine, dripping water out his ears, teasing it out with his fingers, pulling it out of Satsuki’s hair as they walked. Kagami just plain dried fast. Probably a firebender thing. “Maybe he couldn’t do it good enough to get a good ride.” But Aomine could, because Aomine was the greatest. Southern Tribe waterbenders passed through now and then and could never believe that Aomine had never trained under a master, and did not want to.  
  
“Yeah,” said Kagami. “I mean, Ember Island has some great waves, but these bending ones are bigger. He was a tightass, though. Probably wouldn’t have done it even if he’d be able to.”  
  
Aomine wanted to say,  _where are all these places? Who are all those people? How much more of the world have you seen than we have, and what’s it like?_ Aomine has been to the next town over, and never spent the night off the island. Kise has been all over the world, and Kagami talked like he meant to do the same, to visit the poles and ride a sky bison, to see a dragon- to  _fight_ a dragon, like the firebenders of old- and stand on the walls of Ba Sing Se.   
  
Satsuki touched his arm, smiled. Aomine thought _ no_, because how could he ever leave Satsuki, or Tetsu? What would they do without him? (What would he do without them?) All their lives were on Kiyoshi Island, and Kagami was just a drifter; even Kise only came back because it was on his way, and the Avatar never stopped moving.  
  
“I think Ki-chan will have an announcement tonight,” she said, and speak of the devil, Kise whooshed over their heads, laughing at them, calling out “Kurokochiiiiiiii,” as he headed for the house, and Aomine could _hear_ Tetsu’s sigh, floating out the windows, along with the light and smell of home. 


	3. Book 1: Bones

Kise threw back his arms and sighed in satisfaction. The long blue arrows flashed in the light, and under his fringe so did his forehead tattoo. Kise had looked funnier bald, years ago on his way to the Southern Water Tribe to study with them. He had stopped at Kiyoshi Island for a history lesson about his predecessor, and found Aomine instead, untrained, unpolished, incredible.

 

Aomine had forgotten that Kuroko did not bother making meat when Kise came over, because Kise was a life-ruiner like that. To solace himself, Aomine stuffed seal jerky into this mouth and breathed his jerky breath at Kagami to see the horrible faces he produced. Momoi and Kuroko, experienced in his ways, had gone off to wash the dishes together while Kise, Kagami and Aomine kept each other out from under their feet.

 

“We should spar,” said Kagami, eyeing Kise. “And no wimping out this time.”

 

“I’m a pacifist,” said Kise, not opening his eyes. “Kagamichi is _stepping on my ancient cultural beliefs._ Shame on you.”

 

“You’re the Avatar,” pointed out Aomine, who had had this argument with Kise several times before, but could not resist poking at it, a dog with a bone on an open wound. “Why else do you learn to bend?”

 

“Battle for great justice is not the same as battle for beating people up,” said Kise, serenely. This was, unfortunately for Kagami’s ambitions, true to any right-thinking person.

 

“No battle after dinner, or no one gets dessert,” said Momoi. She waggled her fingers at them threateningly.

 

Aomine eyed her and said, “ _Your_ dessert?”

 

“I brought it with me from the Southern Air Temple,” said Kise, reassuring them. “Momochi, _I’ve_ been good.”

 

“Ki-chan is always good,” said Momoi, and petted his bright head.

 

“Suck-up,” muttered Kagami. “Fruit pies?”

 

“The best you’ve ever tasted,” said Kise, smiling meaningfully at Kagami.

 

“Had them,” said Kagami. “Western Air Temple.”

 

“These are _better_ ,” said Kise, with dignity. “I stole them myself.”

 

“Should the Avatar be eating the fruits of crime?” said Kuroko, smacking Aomine’s grabby hands as they tried to reach for the packet.

 

“Only the fruit pies of crime,” said Kise, and laughed as everyone groaned.

 

“We have an announcement,” said Momoi, when even the crumbs of the fruit pies were gone and Kise was winding the breeze around them, smiling and laying her hands over Kuroko’s and Aomine’s hands on the table.

 

“Really?” said Aomine. 

 

“Yes,” said Kuroko.

 

“Okay,” said Kise. “Lay it on me.”

 

“We’re going to Republic City!” said Momoi, smiled.

 

“What?” said Aomine. “Oi, Tetsu- Satsuki- you’re not-” _What about me_ , he wanted to say, and felt the rush of words choke in his throat.

 

“Um, congratulations?” said Kagami, exchanging weird looks with Kise. Kise shrugged, and what the hell was that supposed to mean?

 

“All of us!” she said.

 

“Um,” said Kagami, again.

 

“Yes, you too,” she said. “Also Ki-chan.”

 

“I’m not sure you can tell the Avatar he’s going anywhere,” said Aomine, blankly.

 

“I can if it’s Ki-chan,” she said.

 

“I’m not sure you can tell _Kagami_ he’s going anywhere,” said Aomine, reduced to being the voice of reason.

 

She made a face at him, but it was Kuroko who leaned over and said to Kagami, “You’re moving on soon anyway, right? Come with us to Republic City first.”

 

“I’ve never been to Republic City,” said Kagami, and thought about it. “Sure.”

 

“Don’t agree so easily!” snarled Aomine. “Anyway- you two- I thought-”

 

“We’ve been wanting to go on a little migration,” said Momoi, and tightened her hand on top of his.

 

“That sounds lovely,” said Kise, unruffled. “It’s been a while since I’ve been to Air Temple Island.”

 

“We leave by the end of the week,” said Kuroko.

 

.0.

 

Later that night all passed out on their sleeping pads Aomine reached over and touched the edges of Satsuki’s hair curled over the pillow, like he had when he was smaller and the pull of the moon in his blood had kept him awake, roaring through his veins. Tetsu was a dark shape just past her, sleeping perfectly still on his back.

 

Republic City. Republic City, and for a while, maybe for good. Momoi had said some things to Kagami and Kise and had them nod semi-knowingly and offer comments, comments that Aomine had not bothered to try and understand, about rents and work and the right time of year for travel, how they had money- some money, Aomine knew, not much- and it would do to get them there.

 

And then.

 

“We’ll see where it brings us,” Satsuki had said, and he’d felt the weight of her gaze on him flit on and off.

 

But Satsuki was a Kiyoshi Warrior, and Aomine wasn’t sure what that meant outside the island- so many visitors gawked at them like a show and didn’t believe that the warriors kept the peace and protected the village, didn’t believe that Satsuki had a wicked bite behind the painted smile. Tetsu, sure. Maybe. Tetsu didn’t seem to have much, or if he did, he never talked about it. If Tetsu didn’t want to go he would just have waved them off and then written very short letters. But Satsuki had been born here. All her life would be left in its ruins.

 

He wanted the world outside so badly he could taste it, and thought that maybe, just maybe, he was going to swallow all of her up with it. Kise had been only the start of this craving, full of stories about the places he’d been and coming back a little more new each time, with books for Satsuki and Tetsu- _books_ , as if Aomine cared about reading. He liked looking at their pictures, and hearing Tetsu drone on about boring geography. And then Kagami had wandered in, young as them, but with so much more of the world inside him. Satsuki had certainly seen it coming, and acted accordingly, prepared to leave everything she loved for the sake of him.

 

Aomine had thought he was done worrying if there was enough of Satsuki to be left over once he had destroyed her.

 

“I always meant to take you away with me,” whispered Satsuki, reaching over, holding his hand in hers, awake, after all, or he had woken her, or she had woken up for him. “You were meant for more than only an island on the tail end of the world. I’ll show it to you, Dai-chan. We’ll have everything, and we’ll go everywhere.”

 

 _You were meant for more than me_ , thought Aomine, but he squeezed her hand instead. “I want to ride an airship,” he said.

 

“See a volcano,” she said. “Bend the water at the spirit oasis in the North Pole. I remember.” Her face creased on a yawn. “Now go to sleep. I’m tired.”

 

“Fine,” said Aomine, and closed his eyes. “But Satsuki-”

 

“Aomine-kun,” said Tetsu, the faint note of irritation vibrating through his voice, eyes still shut. “Go to sleep.”

 

“I was only going to say I want to bring my teeth,” said Aomine.

 

“You could have said that in the morning,” said Tetsu.

 

Aomine would have snapped back, but he was suddenly tired, and Satsuki’s hand on his had gone slack and her breathing evened out, and he was washed under by waves of sleep.


	4. Book 1: Bones

“I understand going somewhere with Kise,” said Aomine. “He’s the Avatar and he knows how to score free food anywhere and we won’t have to put up with him that long until he goes somewhere else or something covert avatar business. But why are we bringing Kagami along?”

 

“Oi,” said Kagami, who did indeed have something to offer: he could read maps. He was looking over what they had and trying to remember his own travels, with Kise offering little to no actual help at all.

 

“Kagamin is travelling too,” Momoi said, reasonably. “Why shouldn’t we go together?”

 

“We barely know him,” said Aomine. “He could be a serial killer, like on the radio. Also he eats like a komodo rhino.”

 

“Don’t you think we could handle a serial killer?” said Kuroko, appearing without warning behind Aomine with a box, and scaring everyone. “You eat as much anyway.”

 

“If Kagamichi was a serial killer,” said Kise with all apparent seriousness, “Why hasn’t he tried anything?”

 

“He’s trying to lower our guard,” said Aomine, reasonably. He had emptied a box of ‘treasures’ in front of him, and among them was what Kagami could only call shiny rocks and bones. Hung around Aomine’s neck was a set of Polar Bear Dog teeth and claws, and their fellows also sat in the box. He fingered the curve of a saber-toothed moose lion’s canines and set them aside in his ‘keep’ pile.

 

“I object to being called a serial killer,” said Kagami, but absently, looking at them hollowing out the house. He’d left behind everything he had when he left, not that much of it had been _his_ in the way that this house was theirs. He’d also known (always known) that someday he would go back.

 

“You’re new,” said Aomine. “You don’t get to object to anything.”

 

“That’s true,” said Kise, folding the same blanket over and over again. “I never got any say either.”

 

“You still don’t get any say,” said Aomine.

 

“Kise-kun would get a say if he said anything worth saying,” said Kuroko. Once they had dragged out the personal stuff and left the furniture and most of the houseware to stay with the house, the heavy stuff was mostly Kuroko’s books and an assortment of knickknacks provided by Kise. They discarded the souvenirs heartlessly. Kuroko was donating most of his books to the school, keeping only a few slim favoured volumes and, for some reason, the yearly almanac. None of them had much in the way of clothes, not even Momoi, whose largest contribution to that pile was her armor. She picked a few choice pieces- her arm guards, her fans, and her boots- to wear on the road. It was better to be safe than sorry. Kuroko laid out an array of water tribe weaponry, well-kept and well-made, their bone edges gleaming with use. Kise lifted some of them because apparently Kise could not ever stop being everywhere, and whistled down their length.

 

“Did you make these?” said Kagami, interested. He'd seen their type before, but not up close.

 

“We traded for some of them,” said Kuroko. “I don’t possess the skills for creating them. Southern Water Tribe goods come through quite often.” The best metal in the house was Momoi’s weapons, and Aomine needed no weapons. After a whole day of this they sat on the packaging of Aomine’s, Momoi’s and Kuroko’s life and ate leftovers for dinner.

 

“Most of our food comes from stuff the Aunties give us,” said Momoi, when Kagami’s discomfort got a little too obvious. “Meat we get ourselves and share out, but we’ve always sort of been children of the community.”

 

“Ah,” said Kagami, and tried to look as though he hadn’t been horrified at the thought of having literally eaten them out of their home. Aomine caught a bit of that tension and his eyes narrowed; it wasn’t like they didn’t get along fine on their own, hadn’t gotten along fine on their own.

 

“If we were going at the right time I’d say we could have caught a convoy across the water,” said Kise. “An air bison convoy, I mean. We never ask for much, you just have to pull your own weight for a while and not be a total asshole.”

 

“That’s how I crossed from the Fire Nation,” said Kagami. “Doesn’t it get a bit weird for large groups, though? They don’t ask questions, but you don’t like to impose.”

 

“If they’re already on the way it doesn’t much matter to them,” said Kise. “We’re travelling light anyway, right? Sometimes I just catch up to a convoy and sleep with them then go on my own way in the morning.”

 

“Travelling advice for people who _can’t_ fly, Kichan,” said Momoi.

 

“Air Nomad Convoys would be a good idea if we could get to them,” said Kuroko. “There’s safety in numbers and I like Air Nomad cooking.”

 

Aomine made a face. Endless vegetables. “But we want to get to Republic City,” he said. “Don’t they go to Republic City?”

 

“They do,” said Kise. “Just not now. I know there’s one circling the North Pole, and another should have just landed at the Eastern Air Temple, but none are doing direct routes to Republic City, and none are anywhere near us right now.” He sighed. “Sometimes I hitch onto Fleet ships,” he said. “But that’s not exactly practical.”

 

“I wouldn’t think so,” said Kagami, who had very vivid memories of the battleships, massive and gleaming, all the men and women in their crisp uniforms running over it like ants- exactly like ants, stripping a corpse to the bone, united in military might and purpose, and vaguely terrifying in their gold and red. Somehow he did not think anyone- not the Avatar, and not any of them- could reasonably commandeer a Fleet ship. Well. Maybe Kise. If it was something world-affecting.

 

“We’ll just have to manage,” said Momoi, with that supreme confidence, and Aomine remembered that Satsuki had always taken in strays easily. As for him- well, he didn’t _mind_ them, and Kagami was a good fight and Kise was occasional fun and Tetsu would keep them all in check.

 

“Yes,” said Kuroko, nodding. That was alright, then. Tetsu would be careful for them. Between the three of them, they would be fine, even if Kagami and Kise wandered off again. “We’ll manage.”


	5. Book 1: Bones

“Maybe,” said Kagami, after the third night of hard-boiled eggs, charred meat, and Kise munching on grass with every sign of enjoyment. “We should swap cooking duties.”

“Tetsu doesn’t like Fire Nation food,” said Aomine, immediately. “And when you say cooking, do you mean firebending our food? Because we’re already doing that.”

“No, that’s just you,” said Kuroko, brushing charcoal crumbs off his fingers. No one knew where Kuroko was getting all these eggs from to hard-boil, but no one protested.

“Chucking meat onto the fire is not cooking,” said Kagami. Aomine begged to differ.

“You always insist on too much spice, and then you can’t handle it,” said Momoi.

“No I don’t,” said Aomine. “I just don’t like the taste. Tetsu doesn’t like it either, it’s not bland enough for him. And Kise doesn’t cook, he chucks a few leaves and sticks in a bowl and calls it dinner.”

“I can’t do anything about spices now,” said Kagami. “I’ll try.”

“I bet we won’t like it,” said Aomine. “Can’t we-”

“I could cook,” said Momoi, meaningfully resting her hand on her fans.

“Kagami good luck with dinner spirits rest your soul,” said Aomine.

 

.0.

 

“Where’s the meat?” demanded Aomine.

“Here,” said Kagami.

“Is that- how many dishes did you _make_?” said Kise.

“We’ve got the buns from the village we passed today,” said Kagami. “Er- the leftovers from lunch, I refried them with the eggs we had, and we had some soymilk so I mixed it up into a sort of custard and then Aomine was chucking it around in the ice all day, so-”

“We have ice cream,” said Kise, eyes wide. “Kagamichi, you’re _amazing_ , we have _ICE CREAM_.”

“Well, popsicles,” said Kagami, and slanted them all an embarrassed, hesitant look. “For if the food really is too hot.”

“I love this,” said Momoi, sighing rapturously over her bowl.

“I helped,” said Aomine, between stuffing his mouth. She reached out and patted him on the arm.

“Kagamin this is delicious,” said Momoi.

Kagami looked hesitantly pleased, but said, “Well, it doesn’t really compare to what some people can do, and the presentation-”

“You’re not cooking for court,” said Kise, smiling at his bowl for some reason. “This is very good especially considering you _don’t have a kitchen_.”

Aomine licked some sauce off his fingers, felt very smug that it had been him who dragged Kagami back home just in time for them to go off and have him feed them on the way, and said “What are you going to make tomorrow?” 

 

.0.

 

“If you were a better Avatar,” said Aomine to Kise after they’d arrived in a place large enough to have a port, “You would have had a spirit guide who could fly.”

“Hey,” said Kise.

“A spirit guide who could fly _and_ carry us,” said Aomine. Roughly five minutes into their Epic Journey it had become obvious that Aomine was going to be the problem, not so much because he set out to be any kind of problem, as much as that Aomine was _always the problem_.

They’d tried to deal with it. Kagami and Kise had worked overtime sparring with Aomine, while Kuroko alternatively backed them up when Kagami had to cook or bored Aomine stupid by discussing with Kise the flora, fauna and geography of the lands they were travelling through. Momoi and Aomine seemed to have an embargo on fighting each other ever, mostly because Momoi went straight for the chi-blocking and left Kagami or Kise flopping around yelping and waiting out the numbness, and Aomine would spend the entire time whining so loudly that people down the road asked them what had happened to the small child obviously travelling with them.

Kuroko did not grow onto Kagami as a fighter. Momoi was light and fast, with something of Aomine’s ferocity in the single-mindedness of her attack, and Aomine and Kise remained Aomine and Kise, insurmountable. But _Kuroko_...

“We’re here now,” said Momoi. “We should see what the prices are like for passage to Republic City, and then we can be properly on our way- we’re not going to _get_ much further on foot, obviously.” _Not without killing each other_ , her tone implied.

Kise shrugged back his shoulders and said, “I’ll go with you. We should see if we can get the Avatar discount.” He twinkled at them on the words, ‘Avatar discount’. Aomine punched him in the shoulder. Kuroko and Kagami just walked on.

“Aomine-kun,” said Kuroko. “Momoi-san wanted us to get some supplies.”

Momoi nodded. “Check out the prices first,” she said. “I don’t know how much the passage is going to cost. We’ll decide when we meet back here in an hour or so. Kagamin? Who do you want to go with?”

“I’ve got some business I could take care of,” said Kagami. “I’ll see you in an hour.”

 

.0.

 

Kise dragged a spitting Momoi out of the office over his shoulder. “THANK YOU WE’LL CONSIDER THAT SEE YOU AGAIN SIR,” he called, kicking the door shut with his foot.

“The NERVE of him,” said Momoi. “Saying you were lying about being the Avatar! Overcharging us like that! Staring at my chest!”

Kise refrained from saying that all these things were probably going to be common occurrences from now on, not least because Momoi had shed layers on their journey north, as the weather was turned warmer. He said, “Ma, ma, Momochi. We’ll go ask someone else, okay? I’m sure that lots of people are going to be getting to Republic City. We can get a better price for sure!”

 

.0.

 

“Well?” said Aomine, squinting at a newspaper he had found on the ground, sounding out words slowly as Kuroko corrected him and looked, as far as Kuroko ever expressed any emotions, anxious. They’d gone back to their starting point and were now waiting for Kagami.

“We didn’t get a better price,” said Kise, watching Momoi stare off into the distance and mutter numbers to herself. “Or- we did, but not much better. They must be jacking up the prices because the sanctions and entry requirements. Factor in documents and the time of year-”

“The prices in port are also... expensive,” said Kuroko, a slight furrow in his brow. “I knew there would be a difference, but I had not anticipated this much of one.”

“We don’t have enough,” said Momoi, sadly, and Aomine looked up and watched her pace, looking at her small hands resting on the fans on her belt. “Even if we sell whatever we have left...”

“We can make more,” he said. It couldn’t be hard, right? Between them they’d be sure to make enough. He’d do it for sure.

Kagami arrived at this moment, fighting his way through the crowd. He looked at their sad faces and said, “What happened?”

“We’re temporarily embarrassed,” said Kise. “I... I’m sorry, guys. I didn’t know it would be so expensive for people- for normal people-” he stopped.

“We don’t have enough,” said Momoi, turning sad eyes onto Kagami.

Kagami sucked at his teeth, and then took a bag from his bag, and said, “How about this?”

“We can’t sell your-” said Momoi automatically, then actually opened it and gasped. Kuroko’s eyebrows shot up his forehead.

“Where the hell did you get all that money?” demanded Aomine. He’d never _seen_ that much money at one time in his life before. He’d never touched a coin this big, this heavy, its shine unmistakable.

In answer, Kagami fished out the chain on his neck, and showed them his pendant, as if that was supposed to mean anything. They’d seen it a few times before, but never paid that much attention to it, because it seemed to embarrass him.

Kise took one look at it, and creased up laughing, bent over, using his staff to prop himself up, choking and wheezing.

"I...forgot," said Kagami lamely to this response, while Momoi and Aomine looked at Kise like he was crazy and Kuroko leaned closer to examine it, the golden three-tongued flame symbol of the Fire Nation, on a background of scarlet, and bordered in black. "Look, it's not like it's been even remotely relevant to my life for a while now. Platypus-bears would eat me whether or not I was-"

"Of the Fire Nation nobility," completed Kuroko. "That is the seal of your family, no? I've seen similar designs in books."

"Nobility?" managed Kise, heaving in deep breaths. "Not bad, Kurokochi, but Kagamichi isn't just nobility. A member of the Fire Nation Royal family has been cooking our meals and warming us up at night. Kagamichi is a _prince_."

Kagami scowled, and Aomine and Momoi sputtered and pointed and gasped. People were beginning to stare, but Kuroko prudently wrapped up the money again before temptation struck.

"I'd had you pegged as a Fire Nation rich boy," said Kise, smiling in that sly way of his, "But I can't imagine why I didn't twig to _this_. It's not like I didn't know the other prince was named Kagami. I suppose it's because you're not much like your brother."

Kagami glared at them all. "Look, shut up about it," he said. "It's not like it matters, anyway. I mean, Kise is the Avatar, and no one here gives a shit."

"Hey," said Kise.

"True," said Kuroko, yet stared thoughtfully at the seal which Kagami tucked back into his shirt. "Still, we can't take your money."

Kagami shrugged, relieved to change the subject. "Look, you guys were feeding me back on the island," he said. "Besides, if the alternative is to sit around in a money-sponge port like this while we try to raise the money on our own, we're going to be here forever."

"If you're a prince," said Aomine, frowning at Kagami, "Then what were you doing, wandering around loose like a crazy person? Shouldn't they be keeping a tighter leash on you?"

Kagami made a face. "I write home regularly," he said. "I've got an allowance anyway, and I use it to feed myself and keep moving. They don't get too worried about me, I can take care of myself. It built up."

"Oh," said Aomine. "They've got another one, and so they don't care what you do?"

Momoi jabbed him in the side, and Kagami rolled his eyes. "Whatever. The point is, we can go to Republic City now, and we don't have to sell anything or listen to Aomine and Kise whinge about hurting their lily-soft bending hands with labour until then."

"I should have realised you talk like a rich boy," said Momoi, thoughtfully. "And you do make some beautifully persuasive points." Her hands tapped on the deadly fans tucked into her sash, gifts from the time Dai-chan had fought and killed a polarbear-dog, rare in their waters, and sold the remains. Any treasures that they had left, she did not want to sell. But still- to take from Kagamin...

"He does," agreed Kuroko, and cut his eyes meaningfully to Aomine and Kise, good at bending and absolutely nothing else. They stared back as though beetle-cow butter wouldn’t melt in their mouths. "Once we're more settled we can think about paying him back."

"I don't care," said Kagami. "Well, I mean, this pretty much cleans me out, but I don't need much to keep going. We’re all going together. I don’t need to be paid back."

"Blah blah blah," said Aomine, "The point is, Republic City, here we come, right?"

"Right," said Kagami.

 


	6. Book 1: Bones

“Is Tetsu still seasick?” said Aomine.

“I don’t know, go and check,” said Kagami.

Aomine shuddered all over. “And run into Satsuki’s special porridge?” he said. “Yeah, I got enough of that while we were kids. I never got better, you know," he said, pathetically, when Kagami was pretty sure Aomine had never been ill a day in his life. "The illnesses were just beaten into submission by her idea of cooking and abandoned my body in self-defence.”

“Medicine isn’t supposed to taste good,” said Kise, absently, staring off into the horizon, the sun glinting off his hair. Somewhere, someone sighed.

“Porridge isn’t supposed to move when you’re not looking at it,” said Kagami, who had taken one taste and then promptly escaped to the deck with Aomine and Kise sticking their faces into the sea-spray with every sign of enjoyment. Kuroko had shot him a look so full of abject and utter betrayal that Kagami still felt pangs of guilt. Still, every man for himself.

Aomine hung out over the water and watching the splash of wavelets against the side of the ship. It was a steam-ship, which meant they were making great time, but there wasn’t any space at all for sparring and they all slept in one tiny cramped space. This was great for say, Aomine, Kuroko and Momoi, who cuddled up easily and then lay there and blinked innocently at the other two of them while they tried to fit themselves on the floor, but Kise and Kagami were big boys and there was not actually a lot of floor. Kise was all elbows when he slept, too, shifting all over the floor with the motion of the ship. Kagami didn’t consider himself a demanding traveler, but staying out on deck all day had become much preferable to being inside, and Aomine basically lived out there, talking to anyone who came and asked him if he was going to jump, and if he wasn’t to please come back inside because he was upsetting the crew. They let him, though. Waterbenders and the sea, don't get between them, etc.

There were no shortage of newspapers on the ship, plus a reading shelf with a few extremely bad novels- Kuroko had made a beeline for the latest in the Adventures of Captain Mako, extremely terrible historical detective fiction- and Aomine tended to pick them up with Kise or Kagami around to help him with some of the harder words, mostly in the articles about murders and sports. He would have asked Momoi, but between nursing Kuroko, convincing the crew and captain that Kise and Aomine were absolutely no trouble, and fending off the advances of every man- and some women- on the damn boat, her time was in short supply.

“Pro-bending sounded lame when I first heard about it,” said Aomine, squinting at his paper. “But this actually seems kind of cool.”

“Matches can get intense,” said Kagami. “I mean, it’s not- sort of- real bending, but-”

“I know some people who’d disagree with you,” said Kise.

“It’s too specialised,” said Kagami. “And there’s no airbending.”

“We’re pacifists,” said Kise. “But there were some great things to learn from the pros.”

“Tricks,” said Kagami, getting heated. “I’ve seen pro-benders, they can’t fight a damn outside-”

“Shut up, I’m still talking,” said Aomine. “I was going to say, THIS,” he pointed to the sum of money won in the last championship bout, four hundred thousand yuans, “THIS, sounds cool. Money. We like money, right? And we’ll need it.”

“My people don’t really believe in the accumulation of wealth,” said Kise virtuously.

“Fine we’ll just split your share among us,” said Aomine.

“Pro-benders don’t- wait what,” said Kagami. “What did you say what?”

“What share?” said Kise.

“Your share of the prize money,” said Aomine, as if talking to an idiot, “When we win the pro-bending championship.”

Kise stared at him. “And how are you going to do that?” he said.

Aomine snorted. “I guess I’m going to have to spell it out for you,” he said. “Waterbender,” pointing to himself, “Firebender,” pointing to Kagami, “And you can do your earth shit, as the Avatar,” pointing to Kise.

“You can’t be serious,” said Kagami.

“Your share of money will pay you back,” said Aomine. “I dunno what I’ll do with mine yet. Maybe I’ll get a car.”

“Aomine,” said Kagami. “We can’t become pro-benders.”

Aomine sighed. “Fine, I see the issue,” he said. “Look, don’t sweat it. I’ll cover for you guys as much as possible, and when we get interviewed I’ll totally pretend you guys were as good as me out in the ring. There. Solved.”

“That’s not fucking solved!” said Kagami. “That’s- one, Kise is the _Avatar_ -”

“Avatar Korra was a pro-bender,” said Aomine, calmly folding the paper. “There’s precedent.”

“Stop using words we taught you!” said Kagami. “Two, have you ever even _seen_ a match? have you?”

“We’ll stop in, get a brush-up on the rules, it should be easy,” said Aomine. “An hour, two, tops-”

“THREE,” roared Kagami, “I am a prince of the Fire Nation. Do you want to know what kind of scandal will rocket right across the sea to there if people knew I was pro-bending? _Do you_?”

“We’ll use a fake name,” said Aomine. “No one cares about Fire Nation royalty anymore, anyway. You guys aren’t even in the papers very often.”

“Not in the Earth Kingdom papers, no,” said Kise, who was in fact _very_ well acquainted with the Fire Nation court. “But still- Aominechi, you can’t think-”

“Look,” said Aomine. “We’re good at bending, right? Even Kagami.”

“I _will_ throw you off the ship,” said Kagami.

“So who else is going to be better at pro-bending than we are? Who's going to be better than _me_?" Aomine's eyes sparkled with excitement, and his voice had gone low and crooning with persuasion, leaning on the railing with the wind blowing his hair into his face, irritating, annoying, irresistable.

Kise and Kagami shared a desperately resigned look.

"It's not just that he _knows_ he's manipulating us," said Kagami.

"It's that we probably weren't going to say no to him anyway, yeah," said Kise.

"Maybe Kuroko or Momoi will think it's a bad idea," said Kagami hopefully.

"I've already told Tetsu," said Aomine. "He thought it was a good idea. A great idea. Something pretty close to the idea that is going to change our lives.”

“Did Kurokochi actually _say_ any of this,” said Kise, “Because the last time, I was trying to tell him about the ideas I had for finding a place to stay but Asami Sato had just found the hidden weapons cache in her boyfriend’s house, and when I checked to make sure he was listening I think the man _hissed_ at me. Like an animal.”

“It’s a great idea,” said Aomine again, and went back to reading the paper.

Kagami threw up his hands and went to find Kuroko, bringing in the big guns. He _really_ didn’t want to hear the lectures that would result from ‘making a show of himself’ for ‘commoners’ and the thought of it was already giving him a headache.

.0.

Kuroko wasn’t in the room when he went there, and though Kagami eventually found Momoi in one of the state rooms deep into a discussion on the merits of bone edges over steel, she hadn’t seen him either. His search took him into the bowels of the ship and the very real fear that the porridge had chased Kuroko to the side of the ship and then in his fever he’d thrown himself over to escape it.

He froze suddenly as he heard a noise. It sounded like... a yap.

No, no, no. _Not here_.

.0.

Aomine and Kise first perked up their ears and then watched with interest as Kagami threw himself up the stairs onto the deck, followed- at a slower but very determined pace- by Kuroko, holding in his hands a puppy.

“Kagamin?” said Momoi, worriedly.

“We have a lion-dog now,” said Kuroko, walking over to them with the same slow inevitable shuffle. “The ship’s dog had puppies, and I thought we could take it off their hands. Do you mind?”

Aomine and Kise turned to look at Momoi, since clearly Kuroko was not talking to them. She clutched her heart and sighed. “Tetsu-kun,” she said. “Tetsu-kun, Tetsu-kun!”

Aomine peered at the dog. “Oh,” he said, deciphering Momoi without any trouble. “Hey, it looks like Tetsu.”

“Does it?” said Kise. “Hey, it does! It’s like... a second Kurokochi!”

“Tetsu number two,” said Aomine.

Momoi sagged against Aomine, who propped her up with one arm and a disgusted sigh.

“Tetsu-kun,” she said, again.

“That’s settled,” said Kuroko, and looked pleased.

“NO IT’S NOT,” yelled Kagami from the other side of the ship. “KUROKO THAT THING WILL EAT YOUR FACE OFF IN YOUR SLEEP. IT’S UNSAFE! _THROW IT OVER THE SIDE BEFORE IT SAVAGES YOU_.”

“It’s a _puppy_ ,” said Kuroko.

“YOU’RE A WUSS,” yelled Aomine.

“KAGAMICHI, IT’S VERY SWEET, LOOK!” Kise bent down to the puppy, where it obligingly licked his face and yapped adorably.

Kagami shuddered and looked away.

Kuroko was across the deck in a _flash_ , still holding the puppy. “Kagami-kun,” he said, a touch unsteadily. “Look at him. He needs us.”

Kagami screamed, flailed backwards, and fell over the side of the ship. Kuroko looked over the side, owlishly, watching the ripples and bubbles of Kagami’s fall.

“KAGAMIN!” cried Momoi, and then ran to the side. Kise and Aomine followed, more sedately, mentally preparing the mocking of a lifetime.

“Where’s Kagamichi?” said Kise, looking over the side.

“He... hasn’t come up yet,” said Momoi. “KAGAMIN!”

“Kagami?” called Aomine. “It’s just a dog, moron!”

“...Kagami-kun?” said Kuroko, urgently.

Aomine and Kise looked at each other. “Shit,” they said in unison, then leapt over the side, pulling the water aside automatically as they went.

Aomine hit the water gasping. Fuck, it was cold, and the pain of the water hitting his skin was sharp and tingling. He felt Kise hitting the water on the other side of him, and Kagami was- fucker was _sinking_ , they were never going to let him fucking forget this, _Aomine was going to kill him_ and Aomine grabbed for Kagami in huge handfuls of water, but the current fought him, twisting cruelly against him, and it had Kagami, the ocean was dragging him down, down, down.

Kagami was looking up at him, trying to fight it, but Kagami wasn’t going to make it, he wasn’t going to make it, Aomine wasn’t _going to make_ -

Momoi had her hands full grabbing both Tetsu-kun and the dog, trying to keep _both_ of them from going overboard too, and Kichan had surfaced with panic on his face and was preparing to take another go and Dai-chan wasn’t up yet, but Kagamin, _Kagamin_ -

Light, bright and blinding, shone up through the water, and then Aomine and Kise rose up on a waterspout, holding Kagamin between them. They tumbled to the deck- people were shouting, somewhere people were shouting, but Momoi could barely hear them over releasing Tetsu-kun and the both of them running to pound on Kagamin’s chest, the thing every waterside child was taught from birth, how to pull the water from the lungs of a drowning man, how to breathe the life back into their lungs.

Kagami, gasped, coughed, and came back to the land of the living. Fucking hell, he was getting tired of drowning. He'd been only able to see shadows and lights, and had it been Aomine, who reached for him? Kise, who slid the arm around his back? Or was it the ocean, unwilling to relinquish him?

“ _Idiot_ ,” said Aomine, coughing up his own share of seawater, and pounding Kise on the back a couple of times.

The lion-dog hopped onto Kagami’s chest and barked at him, licking his face.

“ _Get it off_ ,” said Kagami, between coughs. 

“He’s trying to help you breathe,” said Kuroko, but his hand slid under Kagami’s chin and petted him, apologetically. 

“I can’t believe you’re afraid of a little thing like this,” said Aomine. “We’re keeping it, by the way. Tetsu and Satsuki overrule you. _Get used to it_.”

“We’re naming it after Tetsu-kun,” said Momoi, and petted Kise. He leaned against her gratefully and looked at Kagami, and looked at Aomine, and thanked all the spirits he knew.

“The second Kurokochi,” said Kise, smiling at the tiny puppy valiantly prancing on Kagami's chest.

“Nigou,” said Kuroko, who liked wordplay.

“We could be the Lion-Dogs,” said Aomine, running a long finger under its chin as it wiggled shamelessly between them. “Yeah, Lion-dogs. I think that’s a good team name.”

Momoi and Kuroko turned their heads. “What?”


	7. Book 1: Bones

Aomine was at the rail bouncing subtly as they slowly, slowly docked in Republic City, holding Momoi in the circle of his arms and looking at the skyline with her, eyes dark and wondering. They weren’t the only ones out there, looking at their future.

Kagami looked at Republic City and decided it hadn’t changed much. “No place to stay, nothing to eat, no jobs, no skills, and vanishingly little money,” he said to Kise and Kuroko.

“We’ve got a dog,” said Kuroko.

“And,” said Kise, throwing an arm around both their shoulders. “We’ve got each other!”

“Kise-kun constitutes a net loss,” said Kuroko.

“We can crash at Air Temple Island for the first night,” said Kise, ignoring this. “Airbenders never turn away a hungry guest.”

They filed off the ship with their baggage- Aomine picking up the day’s newspaper with an airy wave at Kagami to pay the man- and then ducked through customs and wound up wandering the streets, heading first for the park, because ‘the closer to meal time we turn up, the more likely sempai won’t have too much time to hit me’.

“This is nice,” said Kuroko, letting Nigou down to run about the grass.

“Isn’t it?” said Kise, beaming at them. Aomine settled down under a tree with his paper and opened it. Momoi sat next to him, snuggled in and read under his arm. Kagami ran a jaded eye over Republic City. He’d been much younger the last time he was here, but it didn’t seem to have changed much. After a long time out in the sticks with the rest of them however, the smells of Republic City clanged in his head.

“Nicest part,” said Kagami, scratching his head. Where had he stayed, last time? There was an embassy in this place; he knew that. He supposed he'd have to look into it, or the noise from home would not be pleasant. 

“I like Air Temple Island,” said Kise. "Also there's the giant statue of me, that's cool too."

“You would, though,” said Kagami. “You’re biased. And it's not of you. It's of Avatar Aang."

While Kagami and Kise casually fenced over geography, Kuroko wandered over to Aomine and Momoi were and sat down next to them in the shade.

“I’m glad we decided to come out here,” said Aomine to him.

“Yes, Dai-chan,” said Satsuki absently. Her fingers traced the words on an advertisement for the police force. Fighting skills? She had those. Did they really only take benders, though? She’d have to find out.

“Certainly,” said Kuroko, and closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of solid ground. He was already looking better. Aomine liked to say to him that he was more earth than water, deep inside, and his sea-sickness carried that out.

A shadow fell over them, and they all looked up at once.

“Well, hi there,” said a squinty-eyed guy in slick, black clothes, leaning on the tree. “New in town?”

Kuroko and Aomine blinked at him. Momoi said brightly, “Yes! Just off the boat.”

He smiled at them. Kuroko and Aomine blinked at him again, this time in slow, suspicious union.

“Ah could tell,” he said, beginning to grin as he took them in. Momoi’s hands automatically tightened on her belt fans when the guy extended his hand to them to shake.

She took it, since he was clearly aiming at her. “I’m Imayoshi,” he introduced himself. “Nice t'meet y’all.”

They introduced themselves in turn. Imayoshi nodded and ran his eye over each of them. “Ah like to be appraised of newcomers,” he said. “If you’re ever looking for some work, Ah’m sure Ah could find something that pays well enough for you. Ah like to be helpful,” he explained. “So many of you new folk- you just look so lost.”

“I’m going to become a pro-bender,” said Aomine, folding his newspaper. “Any help with that?”

Imayoshi’s eyebrows lifted even as his eyes stayed closed. Neat trick. “Mosta those types end up working second jobs,” he said. “Need ta stay out of trouble between bouts, and the bouts don’t pay for themselves. In fact, my organization might have a place for a big strong bender like you, if you’re interested.”

Aomine’s chest puffed out. They didn’t _need_ work, obviously, but yeah, getting to the pot might take a bit. Wouldn’t hurt to-

Kagami came over and loomed, his arms folded across his chest. “Gotta problem?” he said, gruffly.

Imayoshi flicked his eyes over Kagami- noted the Avatar signing autographs behind him- and shrugged. “No problem,” he said. “Just making conversation.”

“Make it somewhere else,” suggested Kagami.

“All right,” Imayoshi said, conciliatory. He dropped another smile at Momoi and Aomine as he left, all gleaming assurance. “Look me up anytime, if y’all interested in my organization.”

Kagami made a growling noise as Imayoshi left them. “I can’t leave you alone for a second,” he said to Aomine.

“Tetsu and Satsuki are here,” Aomine pointed out, not unjustly. Momoi continued to tap her fingers on her belt fans, thinking.

Kagami sighed. “I leave you alone for a second,” he said. “And you let yourself be chatted up by some low-life gangster looking for dumb muscle?”

“Was that a gangster?” said Kuroko, interested.

“Was he promising you easy money?” said Kagami.

“Yeah,” said Aomine, standing and stretching. His bones cracked out. “Invited us to look into his organisation.”

“How does that not sound suspicious,” said Kagami, throwing up his hands. “How does it _not_?”

“Do I look like dumb muscle?” said Aomine, pulling Satsuki up.

Kagami eyed him. He had to admit that Aomine really did not. Muscle, yes. Dumb? Certainly. Hired thug material? Sure. Henchman, no. Aomine ran the show or there was no show at all. Kise jogged up- slightly out of breath from dodging fans- and said, “What?”

“I think we should get to Air Temple Island,” said Kagami. “ _Before_ Aomine can get us all thrown in jail, or something equally implausible and ridiculous.”

"Like the Unagi?" said Kuroko. 

"You promised we would never talk about the Unagi," said Kagami.

Kise smiled his bright, blinding smile. “No need,” he said. “Well, yes need, but-” he spread out his hands, and showed them an array of paper. Aomine tilted his head and squinted.

“What do those say?” he said.

Kise flourished them. “Tickets to tonight’s match!” he said. “Courtesy of those lovely young ladies over there just now.”

“I can’t believe you being the Avatar is actually useful for something,” said Aomine, snatching them from Kise’s hands and looking at them with his face aglow. "This is like the first-ever time."

“Yes,” said Kuroko. “Kise-kun, well done.” Nigou, in his arms, barked.

“Yay, Ki-chan!” said Momoi, throwing her hands up into the air.

“You’re all so me-an,” mourned Kise, pouting at them.

“Did you scam those girls out of their tickets,” said Kagami, cutting right to the point.

“I didn’t need to,” said Kise, with dignity. “Kagamichi, just because we’re in the city now, there’s no need to get all suspicious and-”

“I don’t care,” said Aomine. “What time is this match?”


	8. Book 1: Bones

The glider whacked Kise _hard_ on the back of his head. “Do you live,” said the other airbender, Kasamatsu, “Do you _live_ to make our lives difficult?”

“Sempaiiii,” wailed Kise. “Sempai, this is not _my fault_.”

“You didn’t need to come along and make everything more difficult,” said Kasamatsu, though he had to concede the point. It wasn’t really Kise’s fault that their senior official had been called out to the United Republic Council just when the caravan from the Eastern Air Temple had blown in and both their herd of flying bison and Air Temple Island’s herd of flying bison had, respectively, gone into heat and gone into labour. “You would be welcome to stay,” he told them. “But there’s no place _for_ you stay.”

Kuroko watched the flying bison huff and blow, corralled by bleary-eyed acolytes on opposing sides of the island. Nigou ran in small circles around one only a few hours old- and still three times Nigou’s size- and managed to get in some playing with it before the concerned mother blew Nigou away, sending the lion-dog rolling head over heels until he collided with Momoi’s shins.

“But we can eat?” said Kagami, a touch wistfully.

“Food, we’ve got plenty of,” said Kasamatsu. “But unless you want to bed down among the bison, we’ve got no place for you to sleep tonight. The halls are all going to be full up with futons for the caravan. You could squeeze, but-”

“Not anything on the lines of a permanent occupation,” said Momoi, frowning prettily. Kasamatsu went bright red. Gender segregation among the young airbenders, Kise sometimes felt, had a lot to answer for.

“We’ll deal with it,” said Kise. “We’re going to be at the Arena tonight anyway, so we’ll be out of your hair at least that long.”

Kasmatsu nodded distractedly at him, and then turned to answer the calls of another acolyte from within the compound.

“Will there be any meat?” said Aomine.

“No,” said Kise, patiently.

“Then I say we bag it and just go out to eat on the town,” said Aomine.

Kagami’s open palm cracked on the back of Aomine’s head. “With what money?” he said. “Do you think we’re going to be able to pass up a free meal when we’re roaming the streets looking for a place to stay?”

Aomine clawed back at Kagami. “We’ll just sleep on the streets,” said Aomine. Flying Bison and also Nigou watched him and Kagami scuffle. “No prob, we’ve slept out in the open lots of times.”

“In the city,” said Kuroko. “That is called vagrancy, and is not advisable.”

“It’s against the law,” said Kise. “And it’s not safe. Really.”

Aomine sighed, put-upon. “Fine,” he said. “We’ll eat your leaf-dinner, and then we’ll go the Arena, and then we’ll find a place to stay.” He meditatively stared at the floating flying bison clashing horns in the air for females. “Wonder if we could get us one of those, it would be useful.”

Kuroko stared longingly at a calf learning to bounce on all six of its legs, bawling as it tried to adjust to new life. It gambolled and frolicked. 

“No,” said Kagami, enunciating loudly and clearly. “We are not getting a flying bison. We already have a dog. Those are too young to be taken away from their mother. Is any of this getting through your thick head? Go inside and we’ll get something to eat.”

Aomine and Kuroko both sulked as they let Momoi usher them into the building. Inside, it was just as much of a mad house as it was outside- more, as both acolytes and airbenders rushed around and shouted. Baggage and saddles were piled everywhere there was a spare spot. A handful launched themselves at once towards the Avatar with greetings, questions, complaints, leaving Kise to swallow whatever it was he had been thinking of as he looked at Kagami.

Well. At least tonight, they still had the match. At least they could look forward to _that_. Looking at a real match might even convince Aomine pro-bending was boring- as Kagami, at least, continued to hope (the thought of his brother’s upraised eyebrow remained daunting)- and that he’d be better off getting some work that didn’t involve beating other people up.

.0.

Fat fucking chance. Aomine was out of his seat howling and shouting at the fighters just like the most hardcore fans, and Kagami had been caught up in it, too, yelling about bad calls and cheering at the Koala Sloth’s first-round knockout of the Flower Cats. Several matches were played out over the course of the night; they’d somehow managed to come in on the qualifiers for the season, picking the teams who would be allowed to go onto the tournament. Any team could present themselves for a night and fight until they racked up enough wins to qualify. If you won all your fights for a night, you were pretty much in. If you didn’t, you tried to come again next time.

They quickly discovered why the girls had been so quick to give up their tickets to Kise- most of these teams weren’t _bad_ , but they weren’t good, either. Only a handful really were _pro_ pros, with their own uniforms and sponsorships. The real fights and the real money wouldn’t start coming in until the tournament proper, and neither would the audiences. Still, it wasn’t a bad show all around. The atmosphere was infectious since they hadn’t had space to spar at all on the ship, and they were all antsy with the desire to fight.

Even Nigou enjoyed it.

“One of those,” said Aomine triumphantly. “One of those, we win all the way, and then we’re in. We’ve _got this_.”

Aomine dragged them all into the depths of the Arena, cornering a janitor in a corridor outside a training area. He was, Kuroko noted, a terrible janitor, absorbed in moving dust from one side of the room to another.

“Hey,” Aomine said. “You know who we can talk to about getting piece of that action?”

The janitor blinked at them and smiled. “Action?” he said, looking about at them all interestedly.

“We’d like to fight in a qualifier,” said Kise.

“If it’s at all possible,” added Momoi, smiling brightly at him.

“But there are five of you,” said the janitor. “And a lion-dog. You can only have three in a team.” He frowned. “Otherwise that’s cheating. Also animals can’t bend.”

“...only three of us would fight,” said Kagami. “Er, we three.”

The janitor looked shocked. “An airbender?” he said. “But the teams are water-fire-earth. And airbenders are pacifists.”

Everyone wondered how to bring it up, and also if maybe this janitor was one of the differently-abled. Or screwing with them.

“Well, that’s true,” said Kise, carefully. “But I’m the Avatar, I can earthbend.”

The janitor peered at him. “You _are_ ,” he said, then brightened. “Well, that all seems to be in order. Ok, follow me, I’ll see about getting you someone to talk to. Wow, we haven’t had an avatar pro-bend since... Avatar Korra! She almost won a championship, you know.”

He set off, and Momoi said, “That would be very nice of you, Mr- er-”

“Kiyoshi!” said the janitor, still beaming. “I work here, so I know exactly who you can talk to.”

“Was that racist?” said Aomine as they trailed after Kiyoshi. “I mean, assuming that Kise was an airbender. And the rest of us.”

“Kise is carrying a glider,” Kagami pointed out.

“Or a very unorthodox walking stick,” said Kuroko. 

“How’d he know the two of us?” persisted Aomine.

Kuroko looked at Aomine’s dark blue eyes and brown skin, the Water Tribe-style armbands and necklace he wore. Then he looked at Kagami’s red-amber eyes, his sharp features and the _something_ in his face and shoulders, indefinable, sunk into his bones. They’d passed the statue of Fire Lord Zuko on their way to the park earlier in the day, and there was something of the same in Kagami, once you looked for it. Wandering in the wilderness, cooking their food, caring for them fiercely and with abandon, arguing with Aomine, Kagami was royalty. “I haven’t the slightest idea,” he said. “Perhaps he guessed.”

.0.

They were relieved to find that Kiyoshi hadn’t been leading them somewhere to possibly kill and eat them, despite three wrong turns, an extended lecture on the history of Republic City, and nearly diving off the match platform to block Nigou from peering over the edge at wrong turn number two. In the office, a girl and the referee from the match stood over a list of pro-bending teams, with numbers between them. They were discussing the tournament match-ups and, most reassuringly, they also looked at Kiyoshi like he was insane. A few of the other teams who’d won well tonight were there too, looking at match-ups, making sure they’d qualified. Koala Sloths were especially smug- they’d just bought their entry into the tournament next month.

“Have you people ever even pro-bent before?” said the referee. His name tag identified him as Hyuuga. He’d spent as much time during the match cursing the pun-happy announcer as he had calling fouls and points.

“Teppei, honestly,” said Aida Riko, who owned the Arena. Her family was a Name in Republic City, and Riko, despite being unable to bend herself, had been immersed in the pro-bending business since pretty much birth.

Aomine shrugged.

“Look, can we or can’t we,” said Kagami. Please say no. Please. Please. 

“Ten thousand yuan buy-in,” said Riko. “Up front, cash, no crying and no refunds and if you lose you’re out your ten thousand for the season.”

“That’s highway robbery,” said Momoi, appalled.

Aida eyed Momoi for a moment. "No," she said. "Highway robbery was back in the day, when the buy-in was thirty thousand yuans and whatever else the organizer damn well felt like charging for. The ten thousand buys you participation, competition slots, lets you check out equipment before a bout." She crossed her arms. "Take it, leave it, I've got enough one-time kids champing at the bit for their shot at the glory. Once your team’s got some actual wins under your belt, we’ll talk.”

Momoi bristled. “If you think that just because we’re newly arrived you can take all our money-” she started.

“It must be nice living on Air Temple Island,” said Kiyoshi to Kise while Riko’s and Momoi’s gazes clashed in the air.

“We’re not,” said Kise. “No room, so we’re looking around, because there’s so many of us. And the dog,” he added.

“Oh,” said Kiyoshi. He thought for a moment, picking up Nigou. Then he smiled. “You could stay in the attic!” he said.

“What?” said everyone.

“The attic’s a free space, isn’t it?” said Kiyoshi to Riko.

“Freezing in winter, sweltering in summer, no running water, ragged furniture and the roar of the crowd every night during the season?” said Riko. “I wonder why.”

“...so, it’d go for cheap, then,” said Kise hopefully.

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Not that cheap,” she said.

Kise held up Nigou. “But then the doggie would have no place to live,” he said.

Riko looked at Nigou’s face and visibly faltered. Kise’s face failed to have any similar effect.

“Well-,” she said, reaching out to touch Nigou’s soft ears and mini-mane.

Kagami and Momoi immediately bent to haggle and hash out terms, sensing weakness. Aomine, who gathered that they were pretty much in, wandered off to catch the Koala Sloths before they left.

“Soft match,” was his opening sally to the waterbender, washing his face in the corner over a bucket.

“Heh, yeah,” he said. Winning had clearly put him into a good mood. “These prelims are all like that, though. Most of the big guns blast out against each other in the first few weeks and leave the kids to battle it out over spare slots. They’re running out fast. You registering?”

“Seems like it,” said Aomine. “If all the weak benders are up from now, though, should be easy to get a leg in.”

“You’re new?” said the waterbender. His raised eyebrow said everything about what he thought about that, but he kept his mouth shut. “Never pro-bent before?”

Aomine eyed him in turn, and conceded, “Could probably do with learning the rules first.”

The waterbender laughed and pushed his hair back from his face, but his eyes were sharp as they looked Aomine over. "If you're looking for fellow waterbenders to train pro-bending with," he offered, "There's a guy I know. Down by Dragonflats District. Ask for Mako. They'll know who you mean."

"He any good?" said Aomine. Well, he might check it out.

The pro-bender smirked. "He's pretty good, yeah," he said. "Pro-bending is different from regular bending, you know. But it's got its tricks just like anything else. You want to win, you have to know them."

Aomine nodded. He'd take that, yeah. Couldn't hurt, either.

Kuroko had wandered over to the referee left at loose ends once Riko had started in on the property dispute, discovered that he too was a fan of the Adventures of Captain Mako series, and was asking about gangs. A small frown had formed on his face. “Are they much of a problem in the city?” he said, thinking of their earlier encounter. “Would it be unsafe to walk alone?”

“The Arena is neutral territory, at least,” said Hyuuga. “It’s not as bad as it once was- I mean, historically speaking. But some of the old ones still have a bit of a hold on the rough parts? The Red Monsoons, the Agni Kais, the Triple Threats... they’re all ‘legitimate businessmen’ now, of course,” he said, making it clear how much he believed in that. “Pretending they’re squeaky clean. The police have been making a push to clear them up, though.” He scratched his head, and sighed. “Kiyoshi’s probably right,” he said. “For your money and if you can take living there, the attic’s not a bad place if you’re brand-new to the city.”

Kuroko nodded. The attic it was.


	9. Chapter 9

Aida Riko was a softer touch than she seemed, or Nigou really was pulling his weight in their group. They got the attic.

Kiyoshi beamed at them as they spread out over the space to examine it. Riko had not exaggerated its charms, but beggars, as Kuroko had penetratingly observed, could not be choosers. Aomine and Kuroko had gone back to the island to pick up their bags, mostly because Kuroko wanted another look at the flying bison calves, and he obviously thought Aomine was his best ally in this matter. Kagami did not see why; _Kise_ was the airbender, and surely he was past the age when most airbenders were deemed responsible enough for a bison of their own. Kise was going to fly back over once he’d seen enough of the attic, and help them.

“I like this,” said Momoi. She walked over to the large glass windows, looking out over the bay, looking out onto Air Temple Island, and smiled at their reflections in the window. Well, what of it she could see. They were dirty, and stuck when she tried to open it. Kagami walked over and helped her, and a wash of salt-scented air entered the attic. “Yes,” she said. “I think we can make this work.”

“I’ll show you guys a bit of what you need to learn for pro-bending if you want,” offered Kiyoshi. “Hyuuga, too! He’s a ref, he should know what works in the ring.”

Kise looked up at him surprised. “You’re a pro-bender?” he said. Somehow, it was clear that in the Avatar’s worldview, benders did not become terrible janitors.

“I used to,” said Kiyoshi. “I’m an earthbender. In fact, I’m named after a famous earthbender. The Avatar Kiyoshi! You know her?”

“Um,” said her reincarnation. “Yes?”

“I was born on Kiyoshi Island,” said Momoi, rescuing him. “We used to live there.”

“Ooo,” said Kiyoshi. “You’ve come a long way.”

Hyuuga had followed them up to the attic, watching closely as Kiyoshi slowly navigated the ladder and now he sighed and said, “Well, you’re stuck here. Don’t get into trouble, don’t involve us in trouble, and in general do not cause trouble, or we will _end you slowly_. We’ll see about reserving your slot, but you really do have to come up with the money.”

Kagami had been staring at the earthbender, and now he cleared his throat. “Are you Kiyoshi, as in Kiyoshi Teppei, Iron Heart, one of the best earthbenders in the world?” said Kagami. “I thought you lived in Ba Sing Se.”

Kiyoshi blinked at him exactly once, and then said, “But I don’t. I live here in Republic City.”

‘That’s- clear,” said Kagami. “That’s very clear.”

Kiyoshi grinned at him. “Of course it is!” he said. “You’re a firebender, but you don’t live in the Fire Nation!”

Hyuuga smacked Kiyoshi on the back of the head. “That’s enough out of you,” he said. “What's with this volunteering me for training? We don't have time to babysit rookies who might not even make a team.”

"Hey," said Kise, pausing on his way out of the window.

“Welcome to Republic City,” said Kiyoshi, smiling as his head vanished down the stairwell.

.0.

Kise fell out of the air almost at their feet, dodging as he came the flying bison still locking horns in the air.

“You’re still not allowed to have one,” he said to Kuroko. “Kagamichi is mean.” A calf floated over to him, attracted by the bright yellow of the robe draped over Kise's shoulder. It headbutted Kise, who ran his hand over it's soft head before blowing it back to the herd.

Kuroko sighed, but passed Kise a pack. They filed onto the ferry and divided their gazes between the golden glow of the Arena and the heaving shadows of Air Temple Island, the lights sharp and bright in the temple.

Kise looked back at the island. There was an edge of abstraction to his gaze. Other airbenders floated at the heads of their beasts and soothed them, bedding them down for the night. Third Caravan should have been well on their way to the Fire Nation by now, or docked at the Western Air Temple. What business had been so urgent that Takeuchi had been called straight to the Council meeting and not let out even by dinner time? Kise knew from experience that the United Republic Council didn’t like to do all-nighters. And he hadn’t known that the Aida family was branching out into the pro-bending business. Useful stuff. He’d have to remember to mention it to Representative Kagetora.

Aomine shrugged out his shoulders and sighed. Satsuki was probably already planning on decorating the attic. She liked pretty things. They didn’t have much space, but that was all right because they didn’t have many things. Aomine looked at the splash of the waves on the ferry, then out over the water. He eyed the docks- ships came and went from there didn’t they? He could find work there, easy. It was always easy for a waterbender to find work anywhere there was water. Waterbender like him, even easier. He should look up that guy, too, that Mako.

Kuroko looked up at the oval of white moon-face, shining down from the sky. It was fatter now than it had been since they set out, and the stars, to his eye, were different. The moon was turning her face to Republic City.

.0.

After pooling their money, they discovered that they did in fact have enough for the pot, but only if they no longer had to worry about things such as food, lodging or essentials. The Avatar was of no help at all when it came to these things. Like any airbender, he was typically unconcerned about such things. Food was food. They could in fact have gotten fed every day at Air Temple Island, but this was not a state of affairs that was likely to last them any length of time at all. Kagami and Aomine ate like starving moose-lions, and even if Kuroko and Kise looked like they ate like birds, they still...consumed matter.

So they went hunting for work. Kagami almost immediately picked up some shifts at the power station, generating electricity with lightning bending. He could pick up a shift here and there, and Republic City always needed more power. Kuroko had spoken to Hyuuga, and through him contacted the Arena's announcer, and through him, managed to get a job working at Republic City Times, one of the smaller newspapers, doing something he refused to elaborate on. Though it was likely to be steady money, it wasn’t ready money. They needed the cash on hand.

The Avatar’s business was... being the Avatar. The United Republic City council was in session, and Kise disappeared into it, reappearing at the end of everyday slightly less perfect than the day before, and ready for practice. He did, however, manage to scourge favours to make the attic more comfortable, getting them furniture and cast-offs. Momoi quite quickly found a night waitressing job, and made predictably plentiful tips. Living day-to-day wasn’t going to be comfortable, but they were going to make it in time to qualify for this year’s tournaments. Kagami didn’t want to admit it, but if he was going to do this thing- and Aomine certainly meant to do it- they really were probably going to be better at it than anyone. Kagami had his pride, after all. As long as they won, everything would be alright. Somehow.

They had practice. 

.0.

“This is fucking ridiculous,” said Kagami, after Riko squirted him with the hose for the fifth time.

“What part of ‘one-second burst’ do you not understand?” she said. “Honestly, if you guys are going to be this bad, you should just save your money and drop out.”

Kise made sheep’s eyes at her. “Thank you so much for taking the time to coach us,” he said. “We really appreciate your help.”

“I’m not coaching you,” she said. Nigou wriggled and panted on her feet. “I needed a break from work down the hall and I came to point and laugh. Honestly, you guys are probably good benders-” her eyes flicked up their bodies, and she mentally corrected herself; _great_ benders. Kise was the _Avatar_ , and Kagami and Aomine- she’d never seen a waterbender like Aomine, ever. Something about Kagami’s bending pricked her in her brain, though the thought always faded before Riko could catch it. “-but you are going to be absolute shit at pro-bending. It’s a _sport_ , you know. There are rules and points and everything.” She dropped the hose on the floor. “That’s the difference between _pro-bending_ ,” she said. “And _fighting_.”

Kiyoshi sent another couple of discs into the net. Kise mirrored him exactly, _pop-pop_. He had the timing of it now, he thought. Kiyoshi was patiently going over the basics, and Kise was enjoying this kind of earthbending, less mountains, more missiles. He didn’t like the uniforms, though. Kise preferred being free and mobile. The practice uniforms had so much padding that it was hard to move as much as he might like to. Kagamichi and Aominechi were adjusting better. What they were having problems with was-

“NO ICE,” roared Hyuuga at Aomine. “NO STEAM, NO FOG, NO BLASTS, NO ICE. WHAT PART OF THIS IS DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND?”

-everything else.

“I have to take this?” said Aomine, grimly pulling water from his ears.

“You take it now or you take it in the ring,” said Kuroko severely. He had obtained a copy of the rulebook, and as an extra precaution to keep from losing all their money, was following all three of them around reading the rules to them over and over again. Whenever Kuroko had to go to work, Momoi did it instead. Hyuuga had ended up coming to shout at them more often than not, and it was badly needed. Aomine hadn't known pro-bending would need so many  _rules_. “Do you know that you can lose a match based entirely on fouls? Do you know how many fouls you’ve committed?”

“Too many,” said Riko. “You’re nice boys. Really you are. But I don’t see how you’re going to do this.”

Kagami spat blood. That last medicine ball to the head- spirits, this woman was merciless. Unless that had been Kuroko. It was two in the morning. Or maybe three. Kagami was no longer quite certain of the concept of time. “We are going to do this,” he said, a little unsteadily. Ten thousand yuan down the hole. “We are.”

“Right,” said Aomine, grimly.

“That’s the spirit, Aominechi,” said Kise. Kiyoshi bent another couple of discs at him, and Kise backflipped, pushing himself back up with a blast of air.

“NO AIRBENDING DURING A MATCH,” yelled Hyuuga. Refereeing these idiots was going to be a nightmare.

.0.

Aomine asked for Mako while wandering around Dragonflats and got weird looks- expected- and pretty good directions, which was less so. ‘That weird-looking building with the really ugly thugs out front’, however, was pretty unmistakable. They were pretty much really ugly thugs.

They pulled a gush of water out from the handy barrel they had standing by, and then aimed it at him in deadly shards. Aomine... _countered_. His hands took control of the ice before it reached his face, and the bits melted and flowed around his hands in one long torrent, slamming them into the wall. People on the streets muttered and cleared away, but no one screamed. Instead, they moved quickly and quietly. They did not expect the police to care much about this place and what went on here.

In retrospect, when everyone was shouting at him later, this should have been Aomine’s first clue.

When he tried the door and found that it was locked, his patience gave way and he just blasted open the door.

The door had not in fact been locked, but it had been fastened. Aomine had to give the guys outside their props; they stood up and rushed wildly for his back. He seized by the back of their clothes and cracked their heads together. Aomine walked into the gym, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the dim light. It was full of waterbenders, rough-looking men sparring or drilling next to barrels of water. Aomine could see that these were, at least, a cut above the street benders, the sorry lot that Aomine had found lining up for work by the docks. He chucked the small fry away from him.

“Heard I could find someone named Mako here?” Aomine called.

The waterbender standing by the barrels watching the rest of them go at it looked up. "I'm Mako," he said. "Who are you?" No one else so much as looked up, even as the guys Aomine had thrown against the wall made bubbling noises. Disciplined. Aomine appreciated that.

Aomine shrugged. "Got told I could come here for benders actually worth their weight. Koala-sloth's water dude." He slanted a look across the gym. "Gotta say, thought he was wasting my time."

Mako cast an amused look at the unlucky bouncers. "There's a reason they were out there instead of in here. You want to train here?"

"Apparently there's no fucking other place," said Aomine.

"That's true," said Mako placidly. "We do turn out some of the best waterbenders in the city."

Aomine snorted. "I don't give a shit," he said. "All I want to know is, any of you capable of giving me any kind of fight?" He thought for a moment. "Also if there's any work going for a waterbender in this town."

Mako studied Aomine for another long moment. Aomine let him. He'd come into another man's gym and beat up his bully boys, after all.

Finally, Mako nodded. "What's your name?" he said.

"Aomine Daiki."

"Well, Aomine Daiki," said Mako. "I'm Hanamiya Makoto. These fuckers behind me are the Red Monsoons."

 

END OF BOOK ONE.


End file.
